Armenia’s Ombudswoman Anahit Manasyan has met with the relatives of the Vagif Khachatryan who was abducted by Azerbaijan’s State Border Service last week when he was being transported from Nagorno Karabakh by the ICRC to Armenia for treatment.

According to a press release by the Office of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender, Anahit Manasyan presented the details of the work they have done, including several discussions she held with international partners and representatives of various institutions.   

It also said that the international partners were presented with the research they made, according to which there is no data indicating that Vagif Khachatryan was wanted by any international intelligence body and that the unlawful interference with the fundamental rights of a person is done in violation of international legal guarantees and standards.

Further, the office said that it sent relevant letters to international institutions with a mandate to protect human rights, adding that it continues to work with international partners.

The ombudswoman notes that Vagif Khachatryan is a person under international humanitarian protection, who was being transported to Armenia under the auspices of the ICRC in order to receive treatment. Therefore, his abduction by the border guards of Azerbaijan is a gross violation of international humanitarian law.

The ombudswoman said that there were cases when the relatives of Vagif Khachatryan, including minors, were targeted by Azerbaijanis on social networks, particularly on Telegram channels, which is highly unacceptable and condemnable. The defender emphasizes that this phenomenon is another proof of the Azerbaijan conducts a policy against Armenians that is based on hatred.